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Lab MATCH Prize

Accelerates efforts of diverse entrepreneurs by working directly with national labs and their researchers on IP commercialization.

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Summary

Overview

Lab MATCH Prize

The DOE Office of Technology Transitions Lab MATCH (Laboratory Making Advanced Technology Commercialization Harmonized) Prize is a $620K, three-phase competition aimed to accelerate national laboratory intellectual property (IP) licensing and commercialization. 

  

Lab MATCH, which is funded by the Technology Commercialization Fund, is part of the American-Made Challenges suite of prizes. It provides an opportunity for innovators and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds to work directly with national labs and their researchers to accelerate technology commercialization. 

 

Participating national labs include

  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 
  • Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) 
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). 

 

Prize Phases 

The Lab MATCH Prize offers a total prize pool of $620,000 in cash prizes across three phases.  

 

Phase 1 (Commitment) 

Each competing team will provide details about:  

  • The team as whole 
  • Member background and skillset 
  • Information describing a strong plan for licensing/commercialization.  

Teams will also select the available national lab IP from one of the three participating labs, agree to the basic terms and conditions of the lab agreements, and will work with the national lab associated with the selected IP. 

 

Up to 20 winning teams will receive $2,500 each in cash and will be eligible to compete in Phase 2.  

 

Phase 2 (Plan) 

Winning teams from Phase 1 will work to create a deep and comprehensive engagement plan that describes their commercialization intentions, past experiences, and specific plans of actions.  

 

Teams will complete a submission that provides relevant information describing their skills and qualifications that will ensure that the commercialization process will be successful and details the plan of action, partners, timelines, and more.  

 

Up to 9 winning teams will receive $30,000 each in cash and be eligible to compete in Phase 3.  

 

Phase 3 (Action)  

Winning teams from Phase 2 will make significant progress on licensing/commercialization by working closely with the national lab Technology Transfer Office and the relevant researcher.  

 

The Phase 3 prizes will be awarded based on level of effort and commercialization advancement as assessed by DOE. The submission form will give teams the ability to describe their progress made throughout the prize, describe the additional action steps that need to happen to fully commercialize the technology, and provide other useful information including further details about progress made, partnerships, etc.  

 

Three winning teams will receive $100,000 each in cash prizes. 

 

Competitor Eligibility 

This competition is only open to private, for-profit entities (for-profits).  

Private entities must be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States. 

Individuals, or groups of individuals, that wish to compete must incorporate in the United States as a private entity and maintain a primary place of business in the United States. It is expected that any manufacturing component of anticipated commercialization occur in the United States. 

 

Read the Official Rules for full eligibility requirements. 

 


Guidelines

Please review the official rules for the complete application process and instructions for competing.

If you want to receive updates on the prize or have any questions, please subscribe by using the contact feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at LabMatch@nrel.gov

Timeline
Updates15

Challenge Updates

Introducing the Lab MATCH Prize Phase 2 Winners

Oct. 3, 2024, 8:05 a.m. PDT by NREL Prize Administrator

Congratulations to the nine Lab MATCH Phase 2 winners that are advancing to compete in Phase 3 of the prize, the Action Phase! Phase 2 winning teams were awarded $30,000 each for planning a detailed pathway to market for their previously-selected National Laboratory IP.  

 

Next, these teams will need to demonstrate significant progress towards IP licensing and commercialization by working closely with National Lab Technology Transfer Offices and researchers. 

 

Phase 1 Winners  

Congratulations to the Phase 2 winners of the Lab MATCH Prize! These winners continue to represent a wide range of geographic locations, National Lab partners, and technology areas. 

  • Active Surfaces Inc. (Woburn, MA) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Photovoltaic (PV) 
  • All Correct Solar - Formerly All Drone Science (Gresham, OR) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Photovoltaic (PV) 
  • Expanding Frontiers (Brownsville, TX) 
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Carbon Capture 
  • GridFlow (Albuquerque, NM) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Energy Storage  
  • LEAF Automation (Akron, OH) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Photovoltaic (PV) 
  • Marsan Technology (Milledgeville, GA) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Buildings 
  • NanoSieve (Miami Beach, FL) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Gas Absorption 
  • ThermoVerse (Detroit, MI) 
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Buildings 
  • Torpel (Charlottesville, VA) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Energy Storage 

 

 

  

Learn more about the winners and read the full announcement on energy.gov


Phase 2 Submission Deadline is Coming Aug 30

Aug. 23, 2024, 6:28 a.m. PDT by NREL Prize Administrator

Lab MATCH Prize Update - Phase 1 winners have just one week left to complete their Phase 2 submissions!  

Phase 2 asks these remaining competitors to create a comprehensive commercialization plan and submit lab tech transfer materials detailing their plan of action to move IP licensing forward. Up to 9 teams can win $30,000 each! 

The winners of Phase 2 are anticipated to be announced in late September, and these teams will continue on to Phase 3 of the prize. 

Good luck to all of the competitors! 


Important Reminders on Lab MATCH Phase 2 Submissions

June 5, 2024, 11 a.m. PDT by NREL Prize Moderator

For-Profit Business Reminder 

As noted in the Lab MATCH Official Rules, all teams “must be a for-profit business entity that is formed in and maintains a primary place of business in the United States with majority domestic ownership and control. A for-profit business entity is eligible to compete only if it includes a winner from Phase 1 as an employee or owner. Individuals or groups of individuals are not eligible to compete in Phase 2.” 

Teams should use their company’s contact information when submitting their Phase 2 submissions in HeroX. 

  

Commercialization Worksheet Reminder 

A reminder that teams must complete and submit the commercialization worksheet from their respective National Laboratory as part of their Phase 2 submission. Each National Laboratory’s commercialization worksheet is available under the Resources tab of the HeroX prize page. 


Webinar Opportunity and Note on Letters of Support

May 20, 2024, 8:15 a.m. PDT by NREL Prize Administrator

Customer Discovery Webinar Hosted by Venturewell -This Wednesday

Competitors – Don’t miss out on the upcoming Customer Discovery webinar this Wednesday, May 22nd from our Power Connector VentureWell! VentureWell has already sent the webinar information and registration link to all Lab MATCH Phase 2 teams, so be sure to check your emails! 

 

Letters of Support or Commitment

Please note that letters of support or commitment from national laboratory employees, be it from your national lab’s technology transfer office or researcher, are not permitted. Letters of support or commitment must come from other relevant entities to provide context for your submission. 


Announcing the Lab MATCH Prize Phase 1 Winners

April 1, 2024, 11:34 a.m. PDT by NREL Prize Administrator

Congratulations to the 19 Lab MATCH Phase 1 winners who will now advance to compete in the next round of the prize!   

Winning teams were awarded $2,500 each for their work in the initial Commitment Phase, having crafted a viable licensing and commercialization plan for their selected National Lab IP. In Phase 2, the Plan Phase, they will create comprehensive engagement plans that include actionable steps, partners, and timeline. 

Phase 1 Winners  

OTT received an impressive variety of submissions that proposed go-to-market strategies for unique, problem-solving energy technologies. 

 

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Phase 1 winners come from across the U.S., representing a range of National Lab partners and IP topic areas. 

  • Active Surfaces Inc. (Woburn, MA) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Photovoltaic (PV) 
  • All Drone Science (Gresham, OR) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Photovoltaic (PV) 
  • ATOMIQ (Pittsfield, MA) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Aerospace 
  • Brick City Energy (Saint Louis, MO) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Energy Storage 
  • Diesel heads (Weston, FL) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Transportation 
  • Expanding Frontiers (Brownsville, TX) 
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Carbon Capture 
  • Gold Standard Radiation Detection, Inc. (Albuquerque, NM) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Security & Defense 
  • GridFlow (Albuquerque, NM) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Energy Storage  
  • Joliet Commercialization Coalition (Joliet, MT) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Wind 
  • Leaf Automation (Akron, OH) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Photovoltaic (PV) 
  • Liquidmetal (Chattanooga, TN) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Concentrated Solar 
  • Marsan Technology (Milledgeville, GA) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Buildings 
  • Maveena Energy (Frisco, TX) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Buildings 
  • NanoSieve (Miami Beach, FL) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Gas Absorption 
  • Ourobio (Indianapolis, IN) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Biogas 
  • Team JG (Seattle, WA) 
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Photovoltaic (PV) 
  • TerraLoop (Durham, North Carolina) 
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling 
  • ThermoVers (Detroit, MI) 
    Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Buildings 
  • Torpel (Charlottesville, VA) 
    Sandia National Laboratory – Energy Storage 

You can find more information about the prize, teams, and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions on energy.gov

Read the full announcement on energy.gov


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